Game using object spelling cards and object representing playing pieces



Dec. 1, 1964 M. l. GLASS ETAL GAME USING OBJECT SPELLING CARDS AND OBJECT REPRESENTING PLAYING PIECES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 13, 1962 jmm, Min

Dec, L W64 M. I. GLASS ETAL 3,159,403

GAME USING OBJECT SPELLING CARDS AND OBJECT REPRESENTING PLAYING PIECES Filed Feb. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-sheet 2 rates This application relates generally to a game and is particularly directed to a card game including a deck of playing cards and a plurality of markers for indicating the progress of the game.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a card game which includes a deck of specially designed cards adapted to provide a novel visual effect to the players, and which includes a novel arrangement for indicating the progress of the card game. A further object of the invention is to provide a deck of playing cards arranged in sets, with the cards in each set having similar identification thereon, and with each card having one or more openings therein and a letter adjacent such opening, so that when the cards of any one set are arranged in superimposed relation a word may be spelled out, with one or more letters of the word being visible through the card openings. Still another object of the game is to provide a card game including a plurality of cards which are arranged in several sets, with the cards of each set having identical identifications thereon, and including a marker appropriately identified with each of such sets. A more detailed object of the invention is to provide a playing card game including a plurality of base structures each adapted to support a plurality of playing cards in vertically extending relation, and a plurality of sets of cards with each set having similar identification thereon and with each card including means for forming the word identifying the object on the card when the cards of any one set are arranged in superimposed relation, and including a plurality of nestable markers each corresponding with one of the sets of cards and adapted to be vertically stacked on the base. Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the card supporting base, with some of the cards and markers in position on the base;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the card and marker supporting base;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view of one set of the playing cards, showing the playing face portion;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the game winning marker, with a portion thereof being broken away;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of one of the markers; and

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational View of the marker shown in FIGURE 6, with portions broken away and in section.

In providing a playing card game directed especially to enjoyment by children, it is believed desirable to accompany such game with sufiicient novel and interesting \nsual effects as well as means stimulating a competitive spirit among the players, in order to sustain the interest of the players. This is generally achieved by the present invention by providing a novel deck of playing cards it in combination with a supporting rack 12 for the cards to be used by each player and a number of markers 14 which are used by each player to indicate the progress of the game. In this way, the players not only have a convenient means for arranging their cards, but they also Patented Dec. l, 196

have an indication of the progress of each player toward the winning of the game.

As seen particularly in FIGURES 1-3, the card supporting base or rack l2, which is provided for each of the players in the game, comprises a frame structure which might be made of cardboard, plastic or other suitable material, and which includes a plurality of laterally aligned pocket portions 16 for supporting the cards in vertically extending position. The pocket portions are arranged in two sections, with the rear section 18 having its bottom wall 118a (FIGURE 3) elevated relative to the bottom wall 200: of the forward section 26), and each section is shaped to slidably receive the lower end portion of one or more cards. A rearwardly extending central portion 22 of the base 12 is provided with a recess or opening 24 therein for the purpose of receiving and supporting the markers which indicate the players progress in the game.

The cards used in the game are preferably of the size used in childrens card games and, therefore, are somewhat smaller than conventional playing cards so as to permit easy handling by small hands. Each of the cards has an object pictorially represented thereon, such as an animal, bird, etc., and also preferably has the word identifying such object printed in a prominent position on the card, as indicated at 26 in FIGURES 1 and 4. The cards are arranged in sets, with each set having the same object printed thereon and the total number of cards in the set corresponds with the number of letters required to spell the word identifying the object on such cards. The upper portion of each card has one of the letters of the object-identifying word and one or more openings 28 adjacent such letter. As noted particularly in FIGURE 7, the openings in the card are related to the single printed letter thereon, so that when all of the cards of one set are arranged in stacked or superimposed relation the full word identif nng the object appears at the upper portion of the facing card. This is noted particularly in FIGURE 1, wherein the set of cards on the extreme right have been collected and arranged to spell BAT. It is to be further noted that, with the described card design, the name of the object will be properly spelled out by superimposing the cards of any particular set, irrespective of the order of the cards.

The markers 14'- accompanying the game are each used to indicate the completion by a player of his collection of one set of cards. Each player has available to him a marker for each of the sets of cards in the deck. These markers are three-dimensional figures corresponding with the figures on the face of the playing cards and include means for nesting the markers in vertically stacked relation on the base. In the illustrated embodiment, as noted particularly in FIGURE 7, each of the markers 14 is a pictorial representation of an animal or bird and is identical with the pictorial representation on one of the sets of cards. This three-dimensional marker is provided with a recess or opening 39 at its upper end, and a complementary boss or projection 32 at its lower end. Conseqnently, the projecting portion 32 of a marker 14 is adapted to be inserted in the recess portion 30 of an underlying marker to thereby maintain the two markers in vertically stacked relation. The projection 32. at the lower end of each marker can also be inserted in the recess or opening 24 provided in the base frame, so that the initial marker is thereby retained in position on the base. In addition, there is provided a single top marker 34, illustrated in FIGURE 4, which also has a projecting portion 32 at its lower end, but which, of course, does not require any groove or recess at its upper end. This marker is to be picked up by the first player who has collected all of the sets of cards and placed on the uppermost marker on his base to thereby indicate that such player has won the game.

as ts Although the illustrated game may have many variations as to the mode of play, it is contemplated that one form of game will embody forty-eight playing cards spelling the name of seven difierent animals whose pictures appear on the cards, and including twenty-eight markers representing four sets of the seven different animals. The game can be played by two, three or four players, and the object of the game is for a player to collect all seven sets of playing cards and the seven dilferent markers. Five cards are dealt to each player and the remaining cards are placed face down in the center of the table. Each player arranges his cards in the rack or pocket portion 16 of his card supporting base 12, with a view toward matching up cards having the same picture but having a different letter of the word identifying the picture. The first player takes the top card of the stack and tries to match it with one of the cards in his rack. He then passes one of his cards to the player on his right, who then takes the top card from the center stack and passes one of his cards on to the player on his right. When a player completes a set spelling out the name of one of the animals, he places the set of cards face down on the table and positions the corresponding marker 14 on his base or rack 12. The game continues until one player has collected all seven markers, which he then tops oil with the game winning marker 34. In the event that the center or draw stack is depleted before the end of the game, the stack containing the completed sets is shufiled and used as the draw stack.

Another version of the game, which can be played by two persons, involves a race for completion of each set and continuing of the game until all cards are played. In this version, the racks 12 are placed in a row and each of the two players takes a turn in drawing a card from the entire deck. The drawn card is placed in the rack, matching any other cards of the same set but having different letters of the word to be spelled, irrespective of which player placed the previous cards in the rack. The player who completes a word gets the corresponding marker piece 14. After all cards are played and all sets have been completed, the player with the highest stack of markers wins the game.

It is seen, therefore, that there is provided herein a novel card game, which is effective to stimulate competition throughout the game through the use of progress indicating markers and through the use of novel and attractive playing cards. Although shown and described with respect to a particular embodiment, it will be understood that modifications might be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A game comprising a plurality of playing cards and a plurality of markers, said cards being arranged in sets with the cards of each set having a pictorial representation of an object thereon with a diilerent object being shown on each of said sets, each of said cards of a set having one letter of the name of the object represented thereon and one or more openings in the card adjacent said one letter, said one letter being located in its proper position relative to the word identifying the object and said openings being also properly oriented, so that-by superimposing all cards of the set the full Word identifying the object is visibly spelled out, and said markers each comprising a three dimensional representation of one of the objects shown on the cards with each of said markers being formed to provide for vertical stacking of a plurality of the markers. 7

2. A game comprising a plurality of playing cards and a plurality of markers, said cards being arranged in sets with the cards of each set having a pictorial representation of an animal thereon with a different animal being shown on each of said sets, each of said cards of a set having one letter of the name of the animal represented thereon and one or more openings in the card adjacent said one letter, said one letter being located in its proper position relative to the word identifying the animal and said openings being also properly oriented, so that by superimposing all cards of the set the full word identitying the animal is spelled out, and said markers each comprising a three dimensional representation of one of the animals shown on the cards with each of said markers being formed with a projecting portion at one end and a recessed portion at the other end to provide for vertical stacking of a plurality of markers by placing the projecting portion of one marker in the recessed portion of another marker.

3. A game comprising a plurality of playing cards, a stand for supporting a plurality of cards in a generally vertical position, and a plurality of markers, said cards being arranged in sets with the cards of each set having a pictorial representation of an object thereon with a difierent object being shown on each of said sets, each of said cards of a set having one letter of the name of the object represented thereon and one or more openings in the card adjacent said one letter, said one letter being located in its proper position relative to the word identifying the object and said openings being also properly oriented, so that by superimposing all cards of the set the full word identifying the object is spelled out, said markers each comprising a three dimensional representation of one of the objects shown on the cards, with each of said markers being formed to provide for vertical stacking of a plurality of markers, and means on said stand for supporting a plurality of vertically stacked markers.

4. A game comprising a plurality of playing cards, a stand for supporting a plurality of cards in a generally vertical position, and a plurality of markers, said cards being arranged in sets with the cards of each set having a pictorial representation of an animal thereon with a diiierent animal being shown on each of said sets, each of said cards of a set having one letter of the name of the animal represented thereon and one or more openings in the card adjacent said one letter, said one letter being located in its proper position relative to the word identifying the animal and said openings being also properly oriented, so that by superimposing all cards of the set the full word identifying the animal is spelled out, said mark ers each comprising a three dimensional representation of one of the animals shown on the cards with each of said markers being 'formed with a projecting portion at one end and a recessed portion at the other end to provide for vertical stacking of a plurality of markers by placing the projecting portion of one marker in the recessed portion of another marker, and said stand comprising a base including a plurality of laterally aligned, vertically extending pocket portions each adapted to slidably receive the lower portion of one or more cards in generally vertically extending relation to said base, each of said pocket portions having a steplike bottom and side wall arrangement, whereby two or more cards may be placed in said pocket portion in vertically staggered relation, and means on said base for receiving one of said markers in vertically extending relation thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 464,494 12/91 Cline. 2,066,871 1/37 Wolfe 35-69 XR 1,165,891 7/39 Freedman.

2,278,894 4/42 Paulson 46-25 2,337,594 12/43 Easley. 2,634,132 4/53 Freedman 273--152.1XR 2,645,352 7/53 Petzold 273-148 XR 2,763,485 9/56 Dial 273 150 DELBERT B; LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GAME COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PLAYING CARDS AND A PLURALITY OF MARKERS, SAID CARDS BEING ARRANGED IN SETS WITH THE CARDS OF EACH SET HAVING A PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF AN OBJECT THEREON WITH A DIFFERENT OBJECT BEING SHOWN ON EACH OF SAID SETS, EACH OF SAID CARDS OF A SET HAVING ONE LETTER OF THE NAME OF THE OBJECT REPRESENTED THEREON AND ONE OR MORE OPENINGS IN THE CARD ADJACENT SAID ONE LETTER, SAID ONE LETTER BEING LOCATED IN ITS PROPER POSITION RELATIVE TO THE WORD IDENTIFYING THE OBJECT AND SAID OPENINGS BEING ALSO PROPERLY ORIENTED, SO THAT BY SUPERIMPOSING ALL CARDS OF THE SET THE FULL WORD IDENTIFYING THE OBJECT IS VISIBLY SPELLED OUT, AND SAID MARKERS EACH COMPRISING A THREE DIMENSIONAL REPRESENTATION OF ONE OF THE OBJECTS SHOWN ON THE CARDS WITH EACH OF SAID MARKERS BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE FOR VERTICAL STACKING OF A PLURALITY OF THE MARKERS. 